Power operated ceiling washer



LQZZESQ Sqat 19 1330 s RAAEN FOWER OPERATED CEILING WASHER Filed. NOV. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

A TTORIVEYS.

Sept. E9, 1933, s RAAEN 1,927,186

POWER OPERATED CEILING WASHER Filed Nov. 21., 1.929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

4 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 19, 1933 PATENT oFFlca UNITED STATES 2 Claims. (Cl. IN)

This invention relates to power devices for celling washing, scrubbing, sweeping and the like, and particularly to devices adapted to be used interchangeably to effect such cleaning operations.

The invention has for its object an improved device of the character indicated, which is efllcient, economical and readily manufactured.

More specifically, it is an object to provide an improved ceiling cleaning device which has power driving mechanism and a cleaning element that may be used convertibly to effect the washing, scrubbing and sweeping operations, the device being preferably so designed as to be adapted to roll on plain surfaces-generally.

Another object is to provide a device of the character indicated with a hood or housing for the main cleaning element which is constructed to be self-guiding when travelling over a plain surface and has means for effecting an auxiliary cleaning action.

Still another object is to provide a device of the character indicated with a hood or housing so as 25 to be so constructed as to be self-flushing or selfventilating.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the fea- 30 tures of construction, combinations of elements,

and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

, For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing a cleaning device, constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

5 Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively front and side elevations similar to Figs. 1 and 2, showing a modified form of the cleaning device of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view limited mainly to the hood of the modified form of the device; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views showing details of the guiding means employed on the 65 goods of cleaning devices of the present inven- Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 10 denotes a hood or housing having an open side in which is rotatably disposed a cylindrical brush member 11 which has journals 12 and 13 projecting through the ends of the hood and arranged to turn therein. The brush member 11 is preferably provided with bristles 14 for cleaning agents, which project outwardly from the surface of the cleaning member a distance sumcient to extend fairly closely to the sides of the hood and also project a short distance beyond the edge of the open side.

The hood or housing is adapted to be held in elevated position for cleaning ceilings and the like, and for this purpose is provided with forklike arms 16 and 16', which embrace the hood and have end-members respectively at 1'1 and 17', in which the journals 12 and 13 are supported. From this, it is seen that the handle which supports the brush journals, also supports the hood.

The brush member 11 is here arranged to be power driven, and for this purpose the journal 13 is provided with a suitable means for impart- 8o ing rotating motion to the brush member 11. Said suitable means may be mounted on the handle 15 or, where it is desired toreduce the weight of the same, such means-mayconveniently be placed on some convenient support independently of the handle. Suitable means of this character is, for example, an electric motor 18, shown as mounted on a support 19 and provided with a flexible driving cable 20 that extends through the handle 15, then through the arm 16, and terminates in a bevel gear 21 rotatably mounted on the tip of the arm 16 adjacent 'themember 1'7; such bevel gear being adapted to be in mesh with a second gear 22 keyed or otherwise secured on the journal 13. Thus, it is seen that the cleaning device is free to be moved about, the brush member being power-driven, the motion of the device being otherwise uninterferred with.

In order that the hood may travel freely over a plain surface when effecting a cleaning operation, it is preferably provided with guiding means in the form of three or more rollers disposed at convenient points about the periphery of the open side of the hood. In Fig. 3, four such means are shown indicated respectively at 23, 24, 25 and 26. The details of these means are shown in Figs.

7 and 8, where it isv seen that they comprise rollers 28, each rotatably mounted in a fork-like support 29 that is supported on a resiliently held plunger 30. This plunger is. seen to project through a bracket 31 secured to. the side of the hood 10; the plunger having a nut or collar 32 slipped over its. lower end and disposed between the arms of the bracket 31 and has bearing thereagainst a resilient member 33 for holding the plunger yieldingly in place. Thus, it is seen that the guiding means is normally extended to its uppermost postion slightly above the edge of the open side of the hood and is thus adapted to engage with the surface over which the hood travels, and to guide the same in its movement and to prevent it at any time from catching upon the surface.

The device thus far described, is adapted to be used for efiecting cleaning operations on plain surfaces whether such operation be that of brushing or scrubbing, since the brush member 11 may have a sheet of sand paper or other abrasive fastened about the same where a scrubbing action is desired; also a cloth or other agent having a wool-like surface may be substituted for the abrasive sheet in order to effect a bufling operation. Where a washing operation is to be efiected, washing fluid is supplied to the hood and the brush member 11 as it turns, is adapted to apply the same to the surface to be washed.

In addition to such cleaning operations, it is preferable that there be an auxiliary cleaning action to remove large bodies as the hood traverses the surface to be cleaned, since by such means the surface may be lightly scraped, thereby removing protuberances and such like from the surface to be cleaned. This auxiliary cleaning action is readily accomplished by means of an upstanding strip of yielding material disposed along the open side of the hood parallel to the axis of the brush member 11; such member may be for example, strips of rubber as shown at 35 and 36.

In order that the cleaning fluid in the hood may be always clean and thereby effect a uniform cleaning operation, it is preferable that fresh cleaning fluid be continually supplied and withdrawn as fast as it is used. To this end, the power means which rotates the brush member 11 is also arranged to force a supply of cleaning fluid to the brush member as needed. This is accomplished by providing the hood with a spraypipe 38 disposed transversely across the hood parallel to the axis of the brush member 11. This spray-pipe has a plurality of orifices 39 adjacent the brush member, so that cleaning fluid may issue therefrom and douch the bristles of the brush member, whereby it is applied to the surface to be cleaned when the brush member rotates. This spray-pipe is provided with a nipple 40 at one end, the other being closed. This nipple is shown as depending downwardly from one end of the hood 10, in order thereby to be more conveniently connected to a flexible hose member 41 through which the cleaning fluid is supplied. The other end of this hose member is connected to any convenient pump, for example, the centrifugal pump 42, which has a supply pipe 43 depending into the pail 44 that contains the cleaning fluid and over which the support 19 is positioned; the latter is preferably supported in such position by means of legs, as shown at 45, extended into the pail. The pump 42 is arranged to be driven by the electric motor 18 in addition to the flexible connection 20, and for this purpose transmission gearing 46 is shown as interposed between the motor 18 and the pump 42.

From the arrangement shown, it is seen that the fluid sprayed upon the brush to be applied to memes the surface to be cleaned, drips back, when used, into the hood 10 and collects at the bottom thereof. In order to avoid an undue collection of used cleaning fluid, the hood 10 is provided with a drain for this purpose; a draining nipple 4'! being here shown as centrally disposed for this purpose. To this nipple a drain connection, in the form of a flexible hose 48, is secured, the lower end of which depends at 49 into a pail which receives the returned fluid.

In operation, a ceiling or other plain surface is washed by providing a cleaning fluid in the pail 44, then grasping the handle 15 so as to elevate and move the device to and about the ceiling. The motor 18 is then started, the motion of which causes the brush member 11 to rotate and also the. pump 42 to operate and force the cleaning fluid through the orifices 39 as a spray against the brush member 11; this member then turning so as to apply immediately the cleaning fluid to the ceiling. The guiding members 23, etc. cause the hood to move readily in straight lines, as it is pushed about the ceiling, the strips 35 and 36 serving lightly to scrape the ceiling in advance of the motion of the hood. It is also seen that the hind-moving strip serves to scrape the cleaning fluid from the ceiling which has not dripped back into the hood or returned by the brush, so that the ceiling, in consequence, is relatively dry when once traversed by the brush. The used fluid which collects in the bottom of the hood 10 is thence returned by gravity through the connection 48 to the pail set to collect the same.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6, a modified form of device is shown, which is particularly adapted to effect a sweeping operation. Here a hood 50 has a brush member 51 journalled therein, the latter having projecting journal members 52 and 53, which are rotatably mounted in the arms 56 and 57 of the handle member 55. This handle member is shown as provided with a flexible driving connection 58 extending upwardly therethrough and connected to drive a bevel gear 59 disposed in mesh with a gear 60 and secured to the journal member 53.

In this form .of the invention, the hood 50 preferably has a drawn out portion 61 (see Fig. 5) in order to extend rearwardly over the surface which is to be engaged by the brush. The hood here shown is provided internally with a spray nozzle 62 having a supply connection 63 extending up through the handle and a return connection 64 that is connected to a central depending portion 65 arranged to collect the return. This portion has a nipple 66 through which the connection may be made alternately to the return connection 64 or to a bag 67 secured, as shown, to the side of the handle and provided with a flexible connection 68 that may be secured in the nipple 66 instead of the return connection 64. This bag when connected is adapted to collect dust which may gather in the portion 65 of the hood 50. When traversing a surface, such as a ceiling, the dust lifted by the brush member 51 will tend to gather in the sump of the hood and then collect in the bag 67. The rim of the hood 50 is preferably provided with rollers as indicated at 69 and an upstanding strip of flexible material as indicated at 70. (See Fi 6.)

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination comprising a housing, a main cleaning element rotatably mounted therein, a handle pivotally mounted for manipulating said housing, an electric motor having a flexible mechanical connection disposed within said handle for driving said cleaning element, pipe means having lateral discharge orifices disposed in said housing parallel to said cleaning element, a pump arranged to deliver fluid under pressure to said pipe means, and a return fluid connection conncted to said housing, said pump and motor beingconnected in driving relation and having a portable base ing element, pipe means having lateral discharge orifices disposed in said housing parallel to said cleaning element, a pump arranged to deliver fluid under pressure to said pipe means, and a return fluid connection connected to said housing, said pump and motive means being operatively supported on a base as an independent auxiliary unit of said device.

SIEGWART RAAEN. 

